'Points Plane': Qantas jumbo jet final flight reserved for frequent fliers

Queen of the skies: Qantas' latest 'points plane' will retire its Jumbo Jet. Photo / Getty Images

Qantas points planes have been a hit with frequent fliers. Unique routes that can only be bought using the airline's loyalty system of "Qantas points", the Aussie carrier launched its first points-only route from Melbourne to Tokyo in October.

However, we hope you've been saving your rewards, because the latest points plane is here and it's a trip.

The final flight of the Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet "Lord Howe Island" will be making its final route between Sydney and Los Angeles on October 13. Seats will be available exclusively to frequent flyers to book with points.

Business class has already sold out. However, you can still secure a seat in economy for 41,900 points plus $220, or premium economy for 72,000 points plus $430.

To put that in perspective a $1,200 business class flight from Melbourne to Brisbane costs 48000 points, so a seat on the points plane will require between $1048 and $1800 worth of Qantas points, plus your real-world dollars.

However, the final outing of VH-OJU will be an historic event.

Coming up to its 20th year in service, Lord Howe Island first flew for Qantas in 2000. Since then the 747-400ER 'Queen of the Skies' has flown around 80 million miles for the airline, or 2000 times around the world.

You'd think it was time for the old plane to retire. However, there's plenty of life in her yet.

VH-OJU will not be retired indefinitely. Traveller.com.au reports that it "will be transferred to a new (undisclosed) operator to continue flying."

Qantas is phasing out its fleet of six Jumbo Jets, with the last to be retired in 2021.
This makes Qantas one of the last airlines to phase out the jumbo jets, following Singapore who let their jumbos go in 2012, and Delta which was the last US carrier to use the plane in 2017.

The 747 which was first built by Boeing in 1968 has been appearing in various forms since. It celebrated 50 years of flight last year, in time to see most airlines drop the aircraft.

The final version was designed in 2012, but with newer more fuel-efficient models such as the 787 Dreamliner coming into production the lumbering dinosaur 747 lost popularity with airlines.

However, the same things that caused it to fall out of favour with carriers saw it celebrated by passengers. Particularly the double-decker design and distinctive hump back.

While this might be the end for the jumbo's work as a passenger carrier, it continues to be the workhorse of choice of cargo companies and freight.

A far cry from the 'glamorous' 60s jumbo jet concept that helped launch the plane.